Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving Weekend Football Live-Comment Tailgate!

Happy Thanksgiving! If you're online and checking the blog out, be sure to weigh in on Thursday's NFL games (and, if I can't get online, Friday's college football games, too!) Mmm...tryptophans... -- D.S.

129 comments:

While laying awake in bed sick last nite and unable to sleep, I had this great Idea for the NFL

u know how the NFL has been wanting to play more and more international games? But teams are reluctent to give up a home date?

Well since 9/11 the Super Bowl the last Sunday of January isnt a facor anymore so I say add a 17th game for every team and each team will play 1 neutral site game a season then for thye time being you split 8 of these new 16 games between international sites and cities wanting teams like San Antonio, Toronto, Mexico City, CHina, England and so forth, then you stick 8 games in Los Angelas until such a time as you get that city its own team, the NFL is expanding the game to places it wants and no team is giving up a home date.

I like the idea, for the most part. Since football has by far passed every other sport as America's favorite, it couldn't hurt to send teams into other cities, both here and abroad. I'm not sure LA is the right answer, I think they've actually come to like not having a team now. Almost like they want everyone to feel sorry for them. Now they just need to get rid of that stupid two-week layoff between the league championship games and the Super Bowl.

Good 'ole Joey Harrington! Trying to force a pass and assuring the Dolphins don't get at least 3 before the half. The best part is how mellow the announcers sounded when it happened. They didn't even seem surprised, "And there it is" was the quote I believe. Sad when everyone expects him to deliver the INT and he does. Hooray for being a Dolphins fan

Did anyone else see that the replay official from the Oklahoma-Oregon game admitted that he saw that Oklahoma recovered the ball but--for some reason--couldn't tell that to the officials on the field when they asked who recovered the ball. Ummm... what?

It's a good thing I'm not an Oklahoma fan; I probably would have committed suicide today.

I was just comparing the similarities between Romo and Brady. Brady was a low round pick, Romo was undrafted. Both replace Bledsoe on teams that weren't doing anything. Both became instant spark plugs when given the starting job. Just saying...

None of the games were any good... so... it was perfect! Turkey + gravy + stuffing + fixins = a long nap. Plus, this way, we can enjoy Black Friday, College Football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and Monday Night Football. By Tuesday, the tryptophan will have worn off, and we'll be ready for the rest of the shitty work week.

I've been a Cowboys fan my entire life (yeah, I'm old enough to have seen their first season) and I have to say that Romo has been pretty damned good... but I'm pretty sure that my Mom would be more mobile than Bledsoe was and she's been dead for three years, so it's not hard for Romo to look better than Drew. That said, I agree with a LOT of people here who say it isn't even NEAR the point where we compare Romo to Brady. If The Cowboys win a Super Bowl or three with Romo THEN I'll not question his Hall of Fame credentials.

Same here. I was very pissed off to see nothing but commercials for a game that I was not allowed to watch. They just played them over, and over again. I'm pretty sure that was an attempt to taunt me. I want my 15 yards.

I never understand why they fire coaches before bowl games, or why they fire them midseason but let them coach to the end. How are you supposed to win when the coach is completely undermined, and you tell your players you've given up on him?

You're not. And they don't expect to. What does Miami care now how they fare in the weedwhacker.com bowl a week before Christmas?

UF fired Zook the week before the Georgia game. Which meant the powers that be were forfeiting that game in order to beat ND to the punch in getting to Urban Meyer. And it worked. We lost to Georgia, lost the bowl game, but got the coach we wanted. (Though we did beat FSU that year, which was awesome.)

Also, there is no way you can recruit with the kind of coaching uncertainty Miami would be facing. Best to fire the coach now, figure out who you're keeping/getting, and let all the high school kids know you're stable again before it's too late and they all commit to USF.

I give thanks to the Astros whoa couple of years ago wouldn't open the vault for Beltran and now have OVER spent on Lee.....why do I thank them...well because of this the Jays are going to have to trade V. Wells now....and that pisses me off.

IS it just me or do any other gator fans just feel like we really have nothing to play for other than pride. Even if we lay the wood on that girls school up north I just don;t see how we will get high enough to move to that number 2 spot. The one year we really need fsu to be strong and they suck ass. MY dad had a novelidea about the gators this year. HE thinks that they are purposely keeping the games close to lull the other team into letting us come away with the win at the end. I just hope we can hang half a hunnerd on em. Regardless next week should be a fun game.

The bucs suck ass. It makes me glad I was cooking dinner throughout the game but I was still so sickened that I couldn;t enjoy the spread. Imagine what would happen if the glazers sold the red devils and used the money to buy the bucs an offensive line. Maybe pick up a guy on defense who isnt older than me. Combined with the first pick in next years draft. Reggie Nelson's mom says he is skipping his senior year so the bucs should get him as a db. Of course that makes too much sense.

IS it just me or do any other gator fans just feel like we really have nothing to play for other than pride.

Well, there is the Rose Bowl. My favorite subplot to all this is the fact that the Rose Bowl won't get a Big 10-PAC10 game and will have to choose from among ND, Big East runner up, Boise St (!), and SEC runner up (LSU or UF probably) to play either USC or Michigan. How does Michigan-LSU strike you? Or USC-UF?

I've been telling my friends still in the marching band that if they go to the freakin Rose Bowl the year after I leave the band, I'm murdering someone for their spot on the plane.

Steelers at Ravens: Ravens favored by 3, across the board, for the past 4 days. NO movement on any of the major 8 sites. In other words, minus the 3 point home field advantage, Steelers=Ravens in (non)power rankings.

Never, but Ron Zook got a bad break, and Urban gets a little much of a free pass. It took far too long this year for anyone in Gainesville to point out that our play-calling has been lousy all year--people just kept blaming Chris Leak.

Are we sure that wasn't just the UF fans in attendance? Last time at Doak the UF fans were louder than the FSU fans and who knows where the mic was.

Plus, FSU fans once hissed through the entire national anthem because the UF band director was conducing. So... I'll wait for confirmation from someone who was there. But if the FSU fans were chanting too... wow, that's cool.

Anyone else see Jim Leavitt at the end of the USF game? I hope to hell Miami doesn't steal him away. Personally, I don't think there's any way he'll leave USF--he has a chance to be their Spurrier, Bowden, Paterno, Bryant, Hayes.

Also... given Florida's performance today, it's USC or Michigan v. OSU. Not that 99% of the country disagreed with that assessment before the FSU-FLA game, but... wow. They looked pretty pedestrian today.

Sorry to pile it on against Florida--I don't dislike them--but I just read this. Can someone please send Urban Meyer a baby bottle? Unless he was playing his hand close to his chest this week for next week's game (and he wasn't), there is no excuse for playing badly against Florida State. To any Florida fans who are reading this: does this whining from your team's freaking coach and leader bother you more than the game itself?

The voters give teams a bogey or two (witness: UM-Ball State, OSU-Illinois, USC-take your pick). So really, he shouldn't feel so insecure about the game itself. He may feel that way about five of his last six games, but that's another issue. Meyer brings up the most hollow argument in the world that playing at Tennessee somehow affected their game against FSU. That's nothing more than a bald-faced lie.

I'm pretty sick of the UM "it was on the road" excuse. You know that you're going to go to Columbus every other year, and if you're going to make the BCS you're going to have to win that game. This year you didn't.

Don't forget that Urban cryer will break down in tears like a little bitch as well. Was it the LSU game last yr when he started acting like my woman after a night watching sophies choice and steel magnolias. We slogged out another win and maybe that is who we are but I bet we would keep it close with OSU or USC or whoever. We basically play to the level of the team we are playing. Against a strong LSU team we played pretty decent and won. Same with @UT and @ AUB even though we did wind up losing. If a call or two went the other wsy we most likely win. All that matters is that the gators are on a 6-0 streak against out big three the last two years and Chris leak won three of four against the girls school. Damn even Weurffel didn't do that.

Look: I'm not saying that Urban Meyer is a crybaby, like sheik apparently says. I AM saying a couple of things:1) Florida played a good number of bad games this year where, had they played better, they would be number 2 right now, even WITH one loss. No one will cut you slack for playing badly repeatedly.2) Urban Meyer, by complaining about something that his team has by no means earned yet (they hadn't even played their last two games yet), has proven that he is distracted by a trophy instead of the next game. That is bad for his team, since they are better off if they play one game at a time. I like Florida, and root for them against FSU and Miami, so it's a shame that he can't even focus his team on an average, if not bad, FSU team this weekend. They could have made a big statement this week.

On the other hand, I may feel differently if it's my team's coach saying those things, as we are all motivated by our biases. I hope I don't, though.

And if I came off as a raving lunatic in my last post, I can assure you that I am not bouncing off the walls while I type this. I simply don't think his behavior helps his cause, and it irritates me that he doesn't see that.

I hope it's just idle chatter about ND playing UM in the Rose Bowl. You can make arguments about who should play in the National Championship, which may permit a rematch, but the rest of the bowl games are just supposed to give the fans what they want, and repeating a game that was a blowout earlier is not what any fan wants.

UM-LSU? That would be cool. After the games I saw this weekend, LSU and Arkansas look like the best teams in the SEC.

Pete Caroll is an...well, this is supposed to be a more or less family site, so I won't say what I think, but why didn't USC just kneel the ball at the end (and then as the clock ran down they had a shot of him yelling something at one of the officials. REAL classy).

That said, did ND show us at all this season that they deserved to be ranked #5 going into this game? I know USC has a pair of great recievers, but ND's secondary was awful, and their special teams were the most pathetic thing I have ever seen (an ONSIDES KICK went back for a TD!?! Are you kidding me, Weis?). And we saw this the Whole. Darn. Season.

The Capitol One Bowl is shaping up to be the "It sucks that the BCS can only take 2 teams from the same conference bowl", featuring Wisconsin versus Arkansas or LSU (I think Florida gets a BCS bid regardless of how they do next week)

Not to go off the subject completely, but ROCK F-N CHALK...That game was amazing, and KU is finally starting to gel...now if we can only figure out this first round jinx thing...

PS Florida out of BCS Championship...Unfortunately for the SEC, LSU has the most talented team with the worst coach in the conference. Ark. needed to come through for the gators and they didn't. Gators needed a statement win against FSU and they didn't deliver...what a bad weekend to be a GATOR...

If Michigan already had it's shot than I say we make it that from now on the Number one team ALWAYS has home field advantage against the number two team for the championship game. I mean, the number two team can't complain right, because if they lose they already had their shot.

Urban Meyer is mentioning the team's overall resume when he's asked about the BCS. That does not mean he sits in his office all week thinking about these things. I think it's pretty obvious from the rest of his press conference that each week he does nothing but focus on the team at hand. If it worked for Texas 2 years ago...

You're a fool if you think ND will not make a BCS game, a hopelessly optimistic fool. Hell, did anyone else see Lee Corso last night? Something like: "No no no no no no no... Forget Florida. They aren't big media market national television like this... This may have been a 20 point win, but it was much closer, it didn't look that bad." I couldn't believe my ears--is this how the game is really getting spun? ND were destroyed!

Although I doubt it would happen I would love to see Florida play Boise state down in miami. Then make them both wear the orange and blue. Im at dinner last night with my woman and the boise state game is on and she goes oh look the gators are playing. I just had to laugh.

OH my previous comments on urban cryer were after one of the losses last year. During the press conference he started crying about how sad he felt for his players or something gay like that. There were really tears. At least with the ole ball coach he wouldn;t have cried unless he didn;t cover the spread.

Who was it that called me out a few weeks ago about USF being a cake school....want to step up now? I'm pretty sure the game they said they would be embarrassed at would be the WVU. Wow, USF did what I thought.....please believe.

With USC now officially in the driver's seat to the Championship game, who thinks that they have the best shot at beating OSU? I don't think they have a chance in bloody hell.

Here're my rankings, based on ability to beat OSU:1. Michigan (slippery field negated two top 5 defenses, and they still played shot for shot)2. (tie)Arkansas (with one month to prepare, god knows what that offense could do--switching the QB would be a start)2. (tie)LSU (with one month to prepare, maybe their QB could minimize those execution mistakes)4. Florida (good enough to beat anybody, but no rhyme or reason to how or when it happens)5. USC (played their entire season quite well, but Carroll proved he's mortal last year)

You know, I've really been overlooking this whole "Michigan isn't even a conference champion" thing. It boiled by blood when Nebraska in '01 and Oklahoma in '03 made the BCS title game despite not winning their conferences. Now I know the Big Ten doesnt have a championship game, but Ohio State is the obvious champ of that conference. And you know what, when it comes down to choosing from among 3 or 4 one-loss teams to place in the title game, I think not winning your conference should be a deal-breaker.

With that in mind, I would rank the teams most deserving of the #2 spot as follows:

1) USC. But if they lose...2) Florida. But if USC and UF lose...3) Rutgers. But if they lose to WVU...4) Louisville. But if they lose to UConn...5) And here we have a problem... two loss (really one loss?) Big 12 champ Oklahoma or one loss Wisconsin?

Yes, I said it: Michigan should already have been offered the Rose Bowl--even Wisconsin should get to Glendale over the Wolverines. It's fucked up I know, but it's a fucked up system.

For crying outloud Vick is a terrible QB, his rating sucks ass, but he's dynamic when he's in the open field. Make him a wide receiver already! There's no shame in it, it's worked great for Hines Ward. This is a traveshamockery. It doesn't have to be a Vick vs. Schaub scenario, you can have both!

While I'm on a ranting roll... Why don't kickers ever use the coffin corner approach anymore? It seems like it got teams backed up inside their own 20 far more often. For every punt pinned at the 1 these days it seems like 10 punts roll harmlessly into the end zone. Stay tuned to see if I get riled up about something else...

I'm pretty sure that whatever you said made no sense and completely discredited itself.

What in the blue fuck was the qualification that bumped Wisconsin above Michigan? You do remember that Wisconsin is also a Big Ten Conference Loser, right? In fact, the standings go OSU, UM, Wisconsin (There is a system for determining conference champions - the word "obvious" doesn't need to come into play, as though there were some sort of poll used to determine a champion.). I thought your whole point was that not winning your conference disqualifies you from contention.

Next time you jump on a popular but contrived criterion's bandwagon, maybe keep your nonsense, er, argument, consistent.

How about we just give OSU the Crystal Ball already, play traditional matchups in the 4 Big Bowls, and use the 5th one for Boise State vs. Notre Dame (I don't even care who anymore. Its Boise State, and ND sucks). OSU beat TWO #2 teams this season, and I don't think anyone deserves a shot at them anymore.

And, for my required Homer Comment of the Day: How 'bout that Hokie D? #1 in total D and scoring D, and returning 8 starters next season.

Yeah and I said that in deciding between one-loss teams, a conference championship should be a trump card. Last I checked, Oklahoma is not a one-loss team (or did Stoops get a forfeit from Oregon when I wasn't looking?). I didn't articulate it pretty well, but I think my point was that if you're going to go with a team that didn't win it's conference, it better be because you're in dire straits--like if USC, UF, Rutgers, and Louisville lost.

And then if you're going to take a non conference champion, and make the title game a conference game--well then I guess it shouldn't be a rematch between teams that finished their seasons against each other. Like I said: fucked up system.

Except the BCS had an opportunity to add that wording and they chose to not do it. So whether or not you win your conference should have no bearing on whether or not you are good enough to play for the championship.

Not that I think Michigan should go over USC, but I certainly think they should go over Florida.

@Steve, The Pats don't deserve to be number 1, you're right, but you can't say the Colts dominated the Pats in that game. It was a 1 TD victory that could and should have gone the other way. Kevin Faulk makes that catch 99 times out of 100, the one time he didn't. the Colts snatched it up. Otherwise, it may have been a different outcome. Either way a 1 score victory is by no means domination.

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DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.